He grunted as the weights fell to the floor. “Knew it.”
“Knew what?” I growled, rubbing my forehead to stop myself from watching the seconds tick by.
“Only a sweet thang could have you acting a fool.” He shook his head, letting out a louder laugh. “Known you since you barely had any short hairs, kid. Never known you to be a clock watcher. Put two and two together…”
“I just met the girl,” I said defensively. Too defensively, actually.
“Ah,” he crooned. “New love.”
I hopped up, bending my neck side to side to keep loose. “Whoa. Whoa. Not new love, Walter. She’s just some woman I met.”
“Some woman?” Mak’s voice carried over the classic rock as she stood behind me, no doubt with her hand on her hip, ready to throw down.
“Dynasty,” I muttered, forcing the cringe I knew was brewing to stay hidden. “You finally decided to show up?”
When I turned, she was standing exactly as I expected. Hand planted firmly on her hip, one shoulder cocked, and a perfect eyebrow raised. “Ready to get your ass kicked?”
“Yep. Put a fork in him. He’s done,” Walter whispered next to me, making damn sure I heard his words.
I stared at her, taking in her long legs covered in tight black spandex, showing every curve. The tank top she wore was formfitting with the words printed on it dipping in all the right spots. She was nothing short of delicious. “Darlin’, I know you probably have a mean jab and can maybe knock me on my ass, but there’s a big issue we have to discuss.”
She lifted her shoulder higher, along with her chin, showing no fear and oozing attitude. “I will knock you on your ass, Han. So…” She shrugged as her eyes roamed down my body and back up to my face, taking their sweet-ass time. “I don’t know what we have to discuss.”
I cracked my knuckles and stepped closer to her. “If I lay a hand on you, my grandmother would’ve hauled ass down from Tennessee and whipped my behind. It’s going to be hard for me to defend myself without possibly hurting you in the process.”
Mak stalked forward, chin high, defiance radiating off her. “Listen.” She craned her neck, staring up at me with the most brilliant green eyes. “I laid down the challenge. I told you I’d put you on your ass. Now, if you don’t want to stop me, that’s fine. But I don’t do weak, and right now, it sounds like you’re being a pussy.”
I jerked my head back at the insult, but goddamn if I didn’t like hearing that dirty word falling from her lips. “I’m not being a pussy, darlin’. I’m being a gentleman.”
“Pussy,” Walter coughed, diverting Mak’s attention away from me.
She smiled, throwing her hand his way. “Even the big guy agrees with me. You’re making excuses. I don’t need you to be a gentleman. I’m tougher than I look, and no matter how much bigger you are than me or how wide your biceps are…”
“You noticed my guns, huh?” I winked at her and flexed, sending her eyes rolling back.
“Kind of hard not to when they’re the size of most men’s thighs.”
I kissed my left one, being a complete and total tool in the process, but I knew she was watching. Knew she was salivating to touch them too. “I work hard at these.”
“You done with the self-love, Han Solo?”
Walter burst out laughing, and as soon as my eyes cut to him, he did an about-face and stalked off. But he didn’t stop laughing, muttering under his breath about how I’d met the one girl who could handle my bullshit and who gave it back better than I dished it out.
“Why, Dynasty, you wanna help?” I teased, knowing I was crossing a line.
Her eyes narrowed as she shook her head. “There’s something wrong with you.”
“If there’s something wrong with me, then I don’t want to be right.”
“For fuck’s sake,” she muttered, lifting her face toward the dingy ceiling of the gym. “Let’s get this over with. I got shit to do and places to be.”
“Don’t be in too much of a hurry. I may not be able to fight back by hitting you, but I will do everything in my power to make it impossible for you to put me on my ass.”
Her eyes sparkled as the smile returned to her face, and she dropped her bag in the middle of the floor. “I see we have the gym to ourselves. Didn’t want an audience for your ass-beating?”
Her attitude totally gave me a boner. The girl was not only beautiful, but the mouth on her sent shock waves through my system like no one else ever had before.
She sauntered to the ring in the middle of the gym, lifting the ropes to climb inside. I stood there, frozen, unable to move as I gawked at her ass and unable to stop myself from doing so. But just as she turned, I broke out of the haze, finding my voice and my sanity.
